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Singapore was not always the modern metropolis it is today, there was a time where we were more self-reliant on our food production. In the 1960s, Singapore had one of the world’s most intensive farming, with a population of over 1.5 million people and 240 miles of land. It was not uncommon for a family to work on small farms of less than an acre, raising as many as 9 crops of vegetables a year, as well as chickens, ducks, and pigs.
By the 1970s, 9% of the total population was engaged in some sort of agricultural activity, or dependent on farming or fishing for a living. The following years saw the rise of rapid urbanisation, and farmland would slowly reduce to make space for housing and infrastructure. Today, close to 90% of the food we eat in Singapore is imported. There have been strides to enhance local food production by investing in modern technology, such as vertical farms and aquaculture.